September 29, 2008
Credit Where Due

In this case to KUOW's Steve Scher.  During last Friday's Gang of Four program, Scher mentioned a 2003 New York Times article on a Bush proposal to rein in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  (Probably this article.)  He didn't give Bush credit for the proposal, but Scher did mention the article.

It is also true that Scher did not mention the earlier and later Bush proposals to fix Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  For those who rely on Scher and other "mainstream" journalists for the news, here are the basic facts:  The Bush administration proposed fixes for the two Government Sponsored Enterprises in every year of his presidency except 2006.  Most of the opposition to Bush's reform proposals came from Democrats.  (For some samples of that opposition, see this propaganda video.  It's a propaganda video, not because it tells lies, but because it does not tell the whole story.  Although most of the proponents of reform were Republicans, enough of the opponents were Republicans, so that these measures did not pass, even in a Republican-controlled House.  Passing a reform proposal in the Senate would have required Democratic support to overcome any possible filibusters.)

We should be grateful, I suppose, even for small favors.  And so I am grateful even for this small glimpse of the truth from Steve Scher.  Not extremely grateful, but still grateful.

Posted by Jim Miller at September 29, 2008 12:39 PM | Email This
Comments
1. So a handful of liberal listeners may have heard about one of the administration's attempts to undo what Franklyn Raines and Clinton did in 1995 that turned the government into the buyer of bad debt. That's like being excited because one blade of grass in your lawn is green when the rest are dead.

I've not heard a single speech since Friday where Democrats haven't attempted to exploit this crisis for political gain. Nancy Pelosi couldn't control herself on the floor of the House today either, blaming the "failed economic policies" of the Bush administration for the banking collapse. A false charge that likely so angered many Republicans that they couldn't even hold their noses and bailout this government for their past sins.

Even IF Pelosi's charge was true, the use by Democrats and Obama to exploit this crisis for political gain, while their standard tactic, would be despicable. But to have them trying to blame the right for the failures of liberals and their social engineering is not just disgusting, but it cost Americans billions of dollars today in the 777 point drop in the Dow. Now we'll get their crocodile tears, while the media will help them blame Republicans for their failure to even get the Democrat majority to do it without help.

If the media, for once, would do their job and inform the public of the truth, we wouldn't have a party of scumbags, like Barney Frank, who wouldn't dare even show their faces on TV after what they've done. That Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and other perpetual reform obstructionists on the left can get up and blame Bush and Republicans for liberal sins is a testament to the corruption of our national media, and pinpoints the real villains standing in the way of real reform and accountability.

Posted by: Reality on September 29, 2008 01:31 PM
2. That's why it is upt to US to spread the articles, the video, the commentary, the unrefutable PROOF to everyone we can.

Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on September 29, 2008 01:33 PM
3. Will McCain suspend his campaign a second time so he can fix this crisis? What about Palin? Will she suspend her VP bid so that she can fix this crisis and avoid the debates?

Posted by: Tyler on September 29, 2008 01:48 PM
4. Will McCain suspend his campaign a second time so he can fix this crisis?

Maybe if Reid/Pelosi et al hadn't refused his help and calling him coming to Washington to help get it passed a "political stunt", then maybe it would have passed. He certainly tried to do more than Fauxbama did, which was phone it in.

There's no filibusters in the House. If the Democrats cannot craft a bill that the majority will pass, there is only one place to look for the blame - the majority.

Posted by: Palouse on September 29, 2008 02:05 PM
5. Tyler, please step away from the bong before you post.

Palin has no place at the table. SHE is not a senator or in Congress.

Why would you even ask such a moronic question?

Posted by: Hinton on September 29, 2008 02:06 PM
6. McCain spoke up, too. Obama didn't, because it was more lucrative for him to collect $100,000+ from Fannie Mae execs instead.

Posted by: Michele on September 29, 2008 03:14 PM
7. Bill Clinton on Good Morning America on 9/25 admitted to some responsibility for the current economic crises (as well as assigning some responsibility to Congressional Democrats) for resisting Republican efforts to increase oversight on Fannie & Freddie. This interview may be viewed on the ABC News web site by searching for "Bill Clinton on the Economic Crises." He states this at about 3 minutes into the interview.

Posted by: Jim T. on September 29, 2008 05:17 PM
8. Where's the McCain campaign been with this ad? This should have come out weeks ago. Very effective though.

Posted by: Palouse on September 30, 2008 10:54 AM
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